Press Releases

Member for Roe Peter Rundle has called the recent decision by Water Corp to close standpipes in Roe with no notice “completely avoidable”.

In January Water Corporation closed up to 80 per cent of standpipes in the Shires of Lake Grace and Kulin, with no notice to the community’s affected, leaving farmers unable to secure water to service their livestock.

Mr Rundle expressed his concern in Parliament today, saying there was no logical excuse from the Minister for Water for this action.

The Nationals WA have welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s moves towards introducing right to repair legislation in Australia.

Agriculture spokesperson Colin de Grussa said the Federal Government’s consultation paper – which proposes a mandatory scheme for the sharing of motor vehicle servicing and repair information – reflected a push towards similar legislation being introduced in the United States.

The Nationals WA have welcomed the release of the Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services industry, which outlines 76 key recommendations to reform the financial services industry.

A number of recommendations relate to the agricultural sector and will include the establishment of a National Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, and an extension to the time period in which farmers can seek compensation for alleged wrongdoing.

The Nationals WA Member for the Agricultural Region Colin de Grussa said the recommendations would seek to address the imbalanced relationship between the farming community and the banking sector.

The Nationals WA Spokesperson for Fisheries Colin de Grussa has called out Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly for continuing to put community safety in jeopardy by allowing ongoing delays to the smart drum-line trial.

A 10 drum-line trial off the coast of Gracetown was expected to be deployed in early 2019, however is going to be delayed for months while the Government undertake an environmental assessment.

Mr de Grussa said that this was in complete contradiction to Minister Kelly’s promise to start the trial “as soon as possible”.

Member for the Agricultural Region Colin de Grussa has cautiously welcomed the appointment of Steve Lewis as the new Chief Executive Officer at Southern Ports, calling it an opportunity for a fresh start.

Mr Lewis has more than 20 years of experience as a CEO, most recently as interim CEO at Mid-West Ports Authority, and will start with Southern Ports from 14 January 2019.

Mr de Grussa said he was hopeful that Mr Lewis’ extensive experience across numerous port authorities would allow him to bring a new perspective and focus to Southern Ports.

“Southern Ports staff, particularly in Esperance and Albany, have faced some significant challenges over the last two years,” Mr de Grussa said.

Member for Roe Peter Rundle has urged everyone to stay safe over this long weekend, as Australia experiences a surge in drowning deaths.

Figures released by the Royal Life Saving Society of Western Australia show a 50 per cent increase in drowning nation-wide, with 77 drowning deaths recorded since the beginning of December 2018.

“We’ve experienced a stunning summer, and Western Australian’s have flocked to their local beach, river or dam but everyone needs to remain alert to keep themselves, their friends and their families safe,” Mr Rundle said.

The Nationals WA Member for the Agricultural Region and health spokesperson Hon Martin Aldridge MLC has called on the McGowan Government to fast track and deliver upgrades to the strained Geraldton Regional Hospital sooner than planned.

Regional communities across WA may have sighed with relief after the State Government reversed plans to slash funding to Community Resource Centres (CRC) earlier last year, however this may be short lived.

Member for Roe Peter Rundle has called on the new Minister responsible for ports to fix the mess created by the inaction of her predecessor.

Premier Mark McGowan announced today that Minister for Regional Development Alannah MacTiernan would take over responsibility of ports from Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.

Mr Rundle said it was evident the Premier thought Minister Saffioti had failed in her responsibilities by refusing to act on the numerous concerns regarding poor workplace culture within Southern Ports.